Heavy Table Hot Five: Oct. 7-13

Each Friday, this list will track five of the best things Heavy Table’s writers, editors, and photographers have recently bitten or sipped. Have a suggestion for the Hot Five? Email editor@heavytable.com.

The Hot Five is a weekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm.

James Norton / Heavy Table

City Loaf from Fire and Flour BreadThe City Loaf from the newly established Fire and Flour Community Bread is a handmade, seriously robust, but also seriously utile baked good. Its crust is substantial (your bread knife had better come correct), but its interior is a lovely balance between depth of flavor and mellow, mild approachability. And while it’s dense stuff, it’s yielding and a lovely partner to toppings such as jam or butter. It would serve well as sandwich bread for robust fillings without swamping them in either texture or taste.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table

Raspberry Rhubarb Pimm’s and Blueberry Bourbon Sage Jams from Serious JamThe raspberry rhubarb Pimm’s is more sauce than jam, with chunks of rhubarb swimming in raspberries. It has the bracing tartness of rhubarb, the sweetness of ripe berries, and just a hint of the medicinal quality of Pimm’s. The blueberry bourbon sage has the prominent spice of bourbon and whole, cooked blueberries. With its sage, this jam would lend itself well to a savory application, though both jams were excellent on whole grain or sourdough bread.
[Debuting on the Hot Five |Submitted from a story by Ted Held]

James Norton / Heavy Table

Maple Caramel from the St. Croix Chocolate Company
Despite its cheerfully exotic location in Marine on Saint Croix, the St. Croix Chocolate Company can throw down with the best of anything in the greater metro area. We appreciate their artful take on chocolate that mixes first-rate product with stunning visual effects (like sculptural bars modeled on clay tiles). Case in point: the skillfully painted, leaf-shaped chocolates containing a subtle but truly soulful maple caramel that arrived in a hand-painted dark chocolate pumpkin to promote Caramelpalooza on Oct. 15. The chocolate shop’s pear caramel was also an edible work of art — rarely have fruit and chocolate had such a civil conversation.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #1 |Submitted from Twitter by James Norton]

Katie Cannon / Heavy Table

Burrata at BarbetteThe classic Italian cheese is elevated by Barbette’s sublime preparation. Piercing the delicate shell of mozzarella reveals stringy filata and cream, and as delicious as burrata is on its own, the accompaniments make the dish. Wild mushrooms, truffled “baby” peaches, and a pistachio pistou surround the pillow of cheesy goodness. Bring a friend and ask for some extra garlic baguette.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Bjorn Christianson]

James Norton / Heavy Table

Harvest Moon Latte at Peace Coffee
The Harvest Moon Latte goes something like this: Seasonally fresh squash (rotated by the week depending on what’s best) is roasted and pureed with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then that base is drowned in steamed milk and finally topped with a shot of espresso. The squash is mellow, gently earthy, and present without being overpowering, and it’s a great upgrade to the lazy, pumpkin-spiced everything that currently rules our world.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #3 |Submitted by James Norton]